Gradients From The Edge Of Heaven
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On the way to Des Moines for an interview with Joe Duffy for the next episode of Be A Design Cast, the topic of gradients were discussed ad nauseum, and we had a good time laughing about particularly bad uses of them. Last night at the bar, a regular reader of the site asked me to reveal the worst use of a gradient I’ve ever seen.
I thought about it, and thought about it, and had no immediate answer. The field is so remarkably deep, its like picking the best Milli Vanilli album — there’s so many great choices, how do you pick just one! I forget the answer I gave, but it doesn’t really matter to this story. Later that night, I was flipping through TV channels at midnight and came across the old Wham! video “Edge of Heaven” on one of those classic rock cable channels, because they were celebrating Andrew Ridgeley’s birthday (commonly referred to as “The Other Guy From Wham”) with a half-hour of Wham videos. And then I remembered the album that song was on, and the cover art…and it hit me…
“Music From The Edge Of Heaven”, or as I call it, “The Gradient Album” (like The Beatles White Album, only just slightly not as good) is the worst use of a gradient I’ve ever seen. Now I know what you’re saying. “Tom, like anyone could possibly know that!”
I may not know that its for sure the worst use of a gradient ever, but I know what I feel in my heart. And in my heart, I believe this is the worst. While it might not be the ugliest gradient, in terms of sheer market penetration, media saturation and success of the item using the gradient, its got to go to the top of my list. Everyone is going to have a different opinion on this, and we all know no one will agree with mine, but my opinion is Wham!’s farewell album takes the cake. I’d be curious to hear other stories of the worst gradient you’ve ever seen.
Incidentally, I remember way too much about this album. Its scary, even for me, actually, and I’m pretty sure its because the gradient made me buy the album back in 1986 when it was released. So hypnotically evil, that cover, making me play the cassette over and over and over again. Is that good design, if its so bad it makes someone buy it and then listen to it over and over again? Or is that bad design done well? Or something else I don’t even know about? All I know is it took Billy Ocean out of heavy rotation in my Fisher Price Boombox, that’s how much of a five-o-clock-shadow-grip this gradient had on me. So you know its serious, because Billy Ocean was absolutely my brother by another mother when I was 8.
I played this thing so much the tape actually broke because it got too thin from repeated use. So what do I remember the gradient album searing onto my brain? Start with the video for the title track, which contains at least 18 different 2-second vignettes, none of which relate to any other clips (it was their last video, so its probably just left-over promo footage or something). The song “Wham! Rap ‘86”, which set back the white rap cause at least a decade and foreshadowed such atrocities as Vanilla Ice, Snow and Marky Mark. The remix of “I’m Your Man”, which became a charter member of the Unintentional Comedy Hall of Fame about ten years later, and which contains synthesized versions of George Michael yelling “You Bet!” over and over again for about two minutes. And of course, the single “Last Christmas” which gets more airplay on my iPod during the holidays than anything this side of the Bing Crosby/David Bowie awkward duet on “Little Drummer Boy”.
What? If you’re going to listen to sappy Christmas music, I say you go for the cheesiest, worst versions of songs you can find so at least you can laugh. There’s three versions of Last Christmas on my iPod…the original, the Hilary Duff remake, and the awful, AWFUL remake by Jimmy Eat World.
Its apparent at this point that the gradient on “Music From The Edge Of Heaven” still has a grip on me, because I just wrote 1000 words on it. Go away, evil gradient, and take your bad George Michael Duo music with you.
You bet.
Comments (7)
Donovan Beery said:
It appears that a Peter Saville was the Art Director of this cover. I am not familiar with his work, but this album cover probably owes as much credit to the year it was made as to those who created it. I may have trouble sleeping tonight, as I have a feeling I will be haunted by gradiants in my dreams.
Posted on January 26, 2006
Eric Heiman said:
As soon as I saw the cover, I had a inkling it was Saville. He’s very adept at making hypnotic album covers with a bare minimum of elements. Remember the gradient was not in 1986 what it is today. I wonder more if it’s Wham’s music that makes this the “worst” use of gradient ever. Personally, though I have similar feelings about gradients, I like this cover. It sure beats the one for “Make It Big”, anyway.
Donovan, You should get familiar with Saville’s work real quick. He’s an icon of music packaging/record sleeve design. Check out the monograph “Designed by Peter Saville”, or any release by New Order and Joy Division. Really great stuff that often defies explanation and interpretation.
Posted on January 26, 2006
Bennett said:
Donovan, We actually had a link to an article about Peter Saville back in April. The article is no longer there, but they will sell it to you now. They interviewed him about his spending habits and his very short stint as a Pentagram partner. He is a real character.
I would have to say the worst use of gradients for me would be in the new at&t logo, but maybe that is just because it is fresh on my mind.
Posted on January 26, 2006
Tom said:
Eric, I think that’s a very salient point — the gradient itself is not bad, especially when considered in the context of when it was done (1986). And Seville has done some phenomenal work, namely his mid-eighties stuff with New Order. Good stuff.
Like many things, how you feel about a piece depends so much on when you view the piece, and the context in which its viewed. I’m sure a big part of why I am absolutely convinced this is the worst gradient ever is viewing it while listening to the final works of a band that made those Helvetica Black “Choose Life” on plain white t-shirts a fad.
I’m real tempted to write a parody of Careless Whisper substituting Gradient for Whisper, but I’m gonna restrain myself. Thank me later.
Posted on January 26, 2006
J. Tyler said:
It’s pretty wild that in choosing the worst gradient of all time, by chance, you would unknowingly pic a design by Peter Saville. He, probably more than any other designer, really grabbed the gradient by the horns (as well as bad stock photography) and used it perfectly in some of the most elegant album packages ever made (example).
But I do respect your unbiased opinion. Maybe I appreciate this Wham! cover simply because I know it’s Peter Saville. (But, seriously, that type is hot)
Posted on January 27, 2006
kadavy said:
I agree with Eric in that I like this cover, and the cover of “Make It Big” sucks.
I know no one is claiming that gradients are inherently bad, but I want to reiterate that I think there are many appropriate uses of gradient. Web and UI design are especially good places to use gradient, as there is a much wider gamut, making the gradients more…gradated, and they help ad dimension that is lacking in flat color being emitted from a flat screen.
God, did I just write that much about gradients? I better get some sleep.
Posted on January 29, 2006
Kyle said:
A gradient for a purpose. (It matches the color of each track.)
Posted on January 30, 2006